PRESS RELEASES

Mel Goldfeder, Senior Executive Randa Accessories to Retire

April 18, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY (April 14, 2014) – After more than 50 years of extraordinary service, Mel Goldfeder, senior vice president of Swank Inc., a division of Randa Accessories, will be retiring effective end June 2014.
Joining Swank in 1967, Mel has held positions in both merchandising and sales, ultimately serving as president of special markets and as a trusted advisor. A poster on Mel’s wall declares, “You don’t get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate."
Mel started his career at age 17, working in the wholesale division of Dunhill and on weekends, working on Orchard Street located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side selling hosiery and underwear. By age 19 he had negotiated his way to buyer of Dunhill accessories, where among other things, he worked on the lighter and pipe custom designed for Hugh Hefner. Mel joined Swank in 1967 after meeting, and negotiating, with a Swank executive on a golf course. The rest is as they say, history.
"A role model as husband, father, grandfather, and raiser of funds for noteworthy causes, including the UJA and The March of Dimes, Mel sets a high bar for all of us,” stated Swank’s Chairman John Tulin. "His legacy will continue to engage and challenge us to even greater achievements."
“I have known Mel for over 25 years,” said Randa’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer David J. Katz, "He is a gentleman, an industry icon and a friend. I wish Mel, and his lovely wife Barbara, the satisfaction of a job well-done."
In Mel’s own words; “I thank John, Rick (Luft), Jeff (Spiegel), and all my wonderful partners, collaborators and customers. You have provided me with a lifetime of personal and financial rewards that I never imagined were achievable. It is with pride and accomplishment that I leave this company in capable and nurturing hands, and I look forward to watching Swank and Randa grow even further in scale and in scope.”